Guitar virtuoso Warren Haynes has shared a track titled "Is It Me Or You" with Americana band Railroad Earth. Listen to it above via YouTube.
Right from the start, "Is It Me Or You" has an organic, rootsy feel. Violin, mandolin, banjo, and acoustic guitar lay the framework for Warren's soulful vocals and electric guitar. Swelling choruses and slide guitar playing from Warren feel natural and lend an earthly vibe. Haynes and Railroad Earth come together towards the end for a climactic jam. Rolling Stone spoke with Warren about the song and provides this insight:
The decades-old "Is It Me Or You," a slow-rolling confrontation to a friend, is a standout . Haynes says he wrote the song in the Eighties about a friend who was "in a downward spiral at the time." "He had actually reached a place where he was blaming everyone but himself. And we were so close, and my life was moving in a positive direction and his was moving in a negative direction. And it was a lot of guilt trip going on, causing me to question my own motivations. You know, how it is when you care about someone."
Haynes was always hesitant to record the song. "It’s always been an extremely personal song to me and I always wanted to record it but never felt like I had the right reason." But he changed his mind when he heard the band's mandolin, fiddle and banjo paired with his electric guitar on the track. "It kind of brought the song to life in a way that felt like the way I wrote it," he says.
The song will be on the collaborative album Ashes & Dust. You can pick up the LP on Amazon (Vinyl, CD, MP3).
Haynes will also be teaming up with Railroad Earth for a series of shows in August, including The Peach and Lockn' Music Festivals. For the latest music, news, and tour dates from Warren Haynes, check out his Zumic artist page.
Source: mascotlabelgroup YouTube
